This week a new TSA procedure goes into effect: Under the agency’s Secure Flight Program, when you book a flight now, you need to provide your name EXACTLY as it appears on your government issued ID, your birthdate, gender, and redress number if applicable.
This is following a 9/11 Commission recommendation in attempts to improve our watch list ID matching. So when you book a flight with a travel agent, online, or over the phone, you need to make sure you give all this info, and that your correct name is on your boarding pass…otherwise, you could face unnecessary delays, and potential misidentification. That means for those of you women out there like me who use a maiden or hyphenated name for business, make sure you give the name that is on your official ID.
The start date of this program was yesterday, but any flights booked before November 1 can still be changed.
The new procedure is to prevent individuals on the No Fly List from boarding a plane and to identify those on the Selectee List for enhanced screening.
http://www.tsa.gov/what_we_do/layers/secureflight/
Happy and Safe Travels -
